A newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion on the eve of the disasters centennial, a sailors 1917 journal details a rare eyewitness account of the. Nova scotia hasnt forgotten the generosity of the volunteers and doctors from boston who rushed to the scene of the halifax explosion to help in 1917. I am sure that all of you have heard of the halifax explosion of 1917. Collison of 2 ships ignited 3,000 tons of explosives that left 2,000 dead and 25,000 citizens homeless. While it is somewhat repetitive, it is a very good introduction to the terrible halifax explosion. Jul 14, 2015 the halifax explosion occured in halifax, nova scotia, on the morning of dec.
If you are unfamiliar with the explosion in halifax, nova scotia in 1917 then this book would be of interest to you. On december 6, 1917 in halifax, nova scotia, two ships collided in the harbor. Sink argentinas carrier 1982 the secret british falklands war mission duration. The book has a fairly large print and many contemporary photos. Dec 04, 2017 sixty symbols regular dr meghan gray on an infamous event that occurred in her home town the halifax explosion of december 6, 1917. The climax of the book, the ship collision and explosion, happens approximately 40 pages into the work, and the book itself is nearly 300 pages long. While the halifax explosion of 1917 was a calamity, it was not the only major wartime explosion suffered by the locals. Its been sitting on my shelf for the past six years.
The blast released an explosive force equal to about 2. Atlantic vessels were refit for their new duties in the pacific. A goodreads search for halifax explosion returns more than 40 titles. The halifax explosion of 1917 canada history and mysteries. Beside the name of each victim is listed the age and local residential addresses at the time of the explosion, in addition to their burial sites. Dec 08, 2015 on december 6, 1917, the munitions ship montblanc exploded in halifax harbor, nova scotia, in the biggest manmade explosion prior to the dropping of the atomic bombs on japan during world war ii. T he halifax explosion was caused when two ships collided in the narrowest part of halifax harbor on the morning of thursday, december 6, 1917 the ss mont blanc, a french ship was arriving from new york city filled with munitions for world war i in europe. The halifax explosion remembrance book is the first really definitive listing for those killed in the disaster of 6 december 1917. More links and info below v v v will add some additional. See more ideas about halifax explosion, halifax, explosion. As soon as he heard montblanc was burning at pier 6, ronayne rushed to the scene, said dupuis. Halifax explosion the anatomy of a disaster page 6. On december 6, 1917, the french munitions ship mont blanc and the norwegian warrelief vessel imo collided in the harbour at halifax, nova scotia.
Dan soucoups book, explosion in halifax harbour 1917 nimbus begins with a history of halifax and its harbour and how important it was for the war effort in europe. Nov 07, 2017 elie wiesel spent his early years in a small transylvanian town as one of four children. A fire on board the french ship ignited her cargo, causing a massive explosion that. Bacon has tracked the disaster in halifax a century ago to the celebratory annual tree lighting in boston. Anyone aboard a ship in bedford basin who had a camera would have had a good line of sight to the narrows but still be far enough away to safely take a photograph of the fire or the explosion. Halifax explosion books tagged halifax explosion librarything.
Six million pounds of explosives detonated after the munitions ship montblanc collided with another vessel in halifax harbour. That accident sparked a fire and an apocalyptic explosion. If not, then hang your head in shame and read our article on the halifax explosion of 1917. The halifax explosion remembrance book, an official database compiled in 2002 by the nova scotia archives. There are three descriptions of the blast cloud that should be noted. Halifax explosion book of remembrance maritime museum of. It should be noted that the iconic photo is cropped and not shown in its entirety as published in the 14 february 1918 issue of church work and subsequent booklet by c.
Author bacon sums up the book with the legal ramifications that took place as to which ship was to blame for the collision in the harbor at halifax. The ship described in the message was the french munitions ship montblanc, which was adrift in halifax harbor, burning, and loaded with almost 2,700 tonnes of explosives intended for use in the first world war which was then raging in europe. There are numerous factual accounts of the halifax explosion including shattered city. Even as far away as charlottetown, 5 miles, and north cape breton, 225 miles, the explosion was distinctly felt or. Crowds gathered around to watch the fire from the initial collision. In the end, he loses his hedge fund, but he gains a life as a shipping man. That accident sparked a fire and an apocalyptic explosion that was the largest manmade blast prior to the 1945 dropping of the atomic bomb on hiroshima. Bacon wrote a book about what happened when crews filled a ship called the montblanc with high explosives. Here are some books exploring the many facets of this canadian tragedy, the communities it happened to, and its lasting repercussions.
Halifax explosion the anatomy of a disaster page 5. More fires started and spread, and a tsunami wave was. The halifax explosion and the road to recovery by janet f. Historical fiction of the halifax explosion the reader. Was the explosion a disaster triggered by simple human error. When the french munitions ship montblanc and the belgian relief vessel imo collided, the explosion didnt happen immediately. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism kindle edition by bacon, john u download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The book covers this tremendous tragedy with care and the descriptions of the explosion itself were mindgrabbing. The 7,000 ton vessel had been loaded with drums of highly inflammable toluene. When the munitionsladen ship suddenly and unexpectedly exploded he was very close to ground zero.
Fiction about the halifax explosion disaster that occurred in 1917 and killed 2,000 people. The remembrance book contains a list of the 1951 people identified as having perished as a direct result of the 1917 explosion. On an early december morning a century ago, a french ship hauling explosives to wartorn europe exploded in the harbor at halifax, nova. There are other books that are much more detailed but this book is certainly a good beginning. Halifax explosion book of remembrance maritime museum of the. Dan soucoups book, explosion in halifax harbour 1917 nimbus begins with. An engaging, casual history of librarians and libraries and a famous one that burned down. Ss montblanc, a french cargo ship laden with high explosives, collided with the norwegian vessel ss imo in the narrows, a strait connecting the upper halifax harbour to bedford basin. As part of the refit process, all ammunition was removed from ships in port. The online version features a searchable database with detailed information for 1952 casualties more than 300 of whom are newlyconfirmed and identified victims. Auxiliary patrol ship acting as bedford basin guard ship. The imo was only slightly damaged and, not knowing the cargo on the mont blanc, its crew remained with the ship at 09. Ships of the halifax explosion maritime museum of the.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the explosion in the halifax harbour 100 years ago was the largest humanmade explosion. Nov 30, 2017 a centurys worth of historical accounts, novels and documentaries, plus a tv miniseries, have told and retold the story. The 1917 explosion in halifax that reverberated in boston. The ammunition was stored in the canadian naval ammunition storage depot at bedford basin, just inland from the main port of halifax. Dec 02, 2017 this is a terrific onestop overview of the devastating human cost that was the halifax explosion. Junction, 9 or 10 miles away from the explosion at truro, 62 miles, and new glasgow, 78 miles, the shock was sufficient to jar buildings very appreciably, and even to shake articles from shelves. In his new book, the great halifax explosion, author john u.
Dan soucoups book, explosion in halifax harbour 1917 nimbus begins with a history of halifax. Jul 14, 2017 a newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion on the eve of the disasters centennial, a sailors 1917 journal details a rare eyewitness account of the. He saw the ship burning recognized it, remembered its cargo. Beeds book is the first book ive read of the explosion. National bestseller the riveting, ticktock account of the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the atomic bomb, and the equally astonishing tales of survival and heroism that emerged from the ashes, from acclaimed new york times bestselling author john u. Uncovering new halifax explosion stories trident newspaper. On the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, two new. The munitions ship drifted towards the pier and after twenty minutes blew sky high. Kitz 4 times halifax explosion by graham metson 3 times too many to mourn by james mahar 3 times burden of desire harvest book by robert macneil 3 times miracles and mysteries. The halifax explosion took place on december 6, 1917 when the ss montblanc, a french cargo ship loaded with explosives collided with the ss imo, a norwegian ship in the harbour in halifax, nova scotia, canada. New book details 1917 halifax, nova scotia, explosion. The possibility of another explosion preyed on the minds of haligonians. The halifax explosion was a disaster that occurred in halifax, nova scotia, canada, on the morning of 6 december 1917. Halifax was devastated on 6 december 1917 when two ships collided in the citys harbour, one of them a munitions ship loaded with explosives bound for the battlefields of the first world war.
Jan 23, 2020 the halifax explosion occurred when a belgian relief vessel and a french munitions carrier collided in halifax harbour during world war i. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. In addition to the 2,925 tons of explosives in its hold, it carried barrels of highly flammable benzol and picric acid on the deck. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism by john u. That accident sparked a fire and an apocalyptic explosion that was the largest manmade blast prior to the.
New book details the halifax, nova scotia, explosion of 1917. The forgotten disaster that inspired nova scotias yearly. This was the largest manmade explosion in history until july 1945 when the first atomic bomb blew up. The remembrance book contains a list of the 1,951 people identified as having perished as a direct result of the 1917 explosion. On the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, two new books. This is a story of severe heartache with the towns of halifax, dartmouth, and richmond being especially hard hit by the explosion. Dec 18, 20 sink argentinas carrier 1982 the secret british falklands war mission duration. There was a floating bridge that crossed the harbour and lieutenant freeman, the ship s inspector from the day before, was crossing it to go to work. Disasters make for gripping reading, and this account of the huge explosion of a munitions ship and its devastating effects in halifax harbor, canada, in 1917 tells the dramatic history with clear detailed facts. Thats a lot of postincident this isnt a true threestar rating, but i feel like two stars is too harsh. He ran through the shipyard to warn as many people as he could that the burning ship was a munitions ship and it was going to blow. Century after halifaxs great explosion, city marks. The halifax explosion and the road to recovery by janet kitz, and the recent curse of the narrows.
The halifax explosion 1917 nova scotia, canada youtube. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Sixty symbols regular dr meghan gray on an infamous event that occurred in her home town the halifax explosion of december 6, 1917. My father inlaw was a young boy at the time and had spoken about his memories of the event many times to me. Halifax explosion simple english wikipedia, the free. Mac donald but it is often through historical fiction that writers and readers are able to experience both the facts of an event and the emotions of the people involved. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism hardcover november 7, 2017 by.
This book details the devastation and the aftermath. Dec 06, 2017 100 years after the great halifax explosion steve inskeep talks with author john u. Dec 06, 2017 the 1917 blast after a collision between a french munitions ship and a norwegian vessel killed about 2,000 people and leveled part of the canadian city. The halifax explosion took place on december 6, 1917 when a french munitions ship and a belgian relief vessel collided in the harbour and exploded, killing more than 1600 people instantly, wounding more than 9000 others, and damaging or destroying approximately 12,000 buildings. The halifax explosion occurred when a belgian relief vessel and a french munitions carrier collided in halifax harbour during world war i.
Her articles on gardening, travel, and the arts have appeared in a variety of publications. Dec 05, 2017 the accidental collision of a munitions ship with another vessel in halifax harbour in 1917 was the largest manmade explosion prior to hiroshima. The blast and a subsequent snowstorm left more than 2,000 people dead, including 500 children, and over 9,000 wounded, including more than 1,000 people blinded by shards of glass. The halifax explosion is a fresh, revealing account that finally answers questions that have lingered for a century. This is a terrific onestop overview of the devastating human cost that was the halifax explosion. What followed was one of the largest humanmade explosions prior to the detonation of the first atomic bombs in 1945. New books remember the great halifax explosion the star. The 1917 blast after a collision between a french munitions ship and a norwegian vessel killed about 2,000 people and leveled part of the canadian city. The halifax explosion devastated the north end of the city, killing nearly 2,000 and injuring 9,000. The halifax explosion of 1945 canada history and mysteries. Bacon about a ship collision and explosion during world war i thats been called the worlds first weapon of. On december 6, 1917, the munitions ship montblanc exploded in halifax harbor, nova scotia, in the biggest manmade explosion prior to the dropping of the atomic bombs on japan during world war ii while sailing into the harbor on the morning of december 6, the french munitions ship montblancwith its cargo of 2,925 tons of explosives for the allied war effortencountered the imo, a. Part fastpaced thriller, part ship finance text book, the shipping man is required.
The halifax explosion in nonfiction the great halifax explosion. Beeds tours of halifax in 2001 and bought this book. A fire on board the french ship ignited her cargo, causing a cataclysmic explosion that devastated the. He was the only one of the family to survive what francois maurois, in his introduction, calls the human holocaust of the persecution of the jews, which began with the restrictions, the singularization of the yellow star, the enclosure within the ghetto, and went on to the mass deportations to the ovens. The ship from which the images were taken is likely hmcs acadia, a guard ship moored on the eastern side of bedford basin. The first is the scientific explanation of how it was formed and can be found on page 277 of the book, ground zero. After steaming out of new york city on december 1, 1917, laden with a staggering three thousand tons of. In her latest, new yorker staff writer orlean rin tin tin. Dec 22, 2015 nova scotia hasnt forgotten the generosity of the volunteers and doctors from boston who rushed to the scene of the halifax explosion to help in 1917. Knowing the fate of the mont blanc, the captain and crew abandoned ship and rowed to the dartmouth shore. Bacon about a ship collision and explosion during world war i.
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